Bolivia map
A cold wave that has been besetting Bolivia since the end of last week has caused the deaths of three people and dozens of head of livestock, authorities said Monday.

Two indigents died on Friday in the eastern city of Santa Cruz when temperatures plummeted from 23 to 8 C (73 to 46 F) due to the cold wave that entered Bolivia from Argentina, according to the government weather service, known by the acronym Senamhi.

The cold front, which originated in Antarctica, is now leaving Bolivia to the north, and so temperatures will begin to gradually improve in the eastern part of the country, Senamhi chief forecaster Marisol Portugal told Efe.

The cold also killed 60 cattle in the town of Cotoca, the daily El Deber reported Monday.

At the same time, western Bolivia suffered a drop in temperatures due to a mass of cold air that brought snowfall and mainly affected the Andean province of Potosi, where on Friday a teacher died.

Authorities confirmed to the media that the teacher died from hypothermia while he was waiting for an intercity bus.

The coldest reading last Friday in Potosi province was minus 16 C (3 F), according to Portugal.

Rural Andean municipalities such as Uncia and Llallagua on Monday reported snow and heavy winds that caused power outages, brought down trees and damaged dozens of homes.